Newcastle Knights make it three in a row

FRESH from a week of talk regarding its premiership hopes, the Parramatta Eels have come crashing down in controversial fashion.

Eels players look dejected after a try by Brock Lamb.

Parramatta’s chances of a NRL top-four finish have suffered a setback after a controversial 29-10 defeat to an improving Newcastle at ANZ Stadium.

The Knights were holding onto an eight-point lead on Friday night when Ken Sio passed off the ground, and one minute later Brock Lamb crashed over to seal a third-straight win.

“The ball never touched the ground,” the referee told Eels five-eighth Corey Norman.

The decision came five minutes after Eels fullback Will Smith was sin-binned for a professional foul despite appearing to have tackled the dummy-half from an onside position.

Worst calls of the year! How can you pass off the ground once tackled! #NRLEelsKnights

— Daniel (@MadHat74) August 11, 2017

Ok that shouldn't have been a play on. The play was clearly finished! #NRLEelsKnights

— Kristen Tsiamis (@KristenTsiamis) August 11, 2017

Am I watching union or league? Nice little post tackle pop pass... 😂 #NRLEelsKnights

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottliebFOX) August 11, 2017

The NRL later admitted that the decision to allow Sio to offload was incorrect and a tackle should have been called.

Further analysis of the Sio pass in the 59th minute of #NRLEelsKnights. #NRL pic.twitter.com/rkvoXxlE0K

— NRL (@NRL) August 11, 2017

Newcastle second-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon then took a short ball from Lamb to stretch their two-point halftime lead to eight.

Knights winger Ken Sio completed his brace with an acrobatic try in the 67th minute, snapping the Eels’ six-game winning streak and silencing the 13,141-crowd.

Lamb, one of the Knights’ best, slotted a field goal in the dying minutes to give Newcastle their biggest win since a 30-2 victory over Gold Coast in mid-2015.

Lachlan Fitzgibbon of the Knights celebrates with team mate after scoring.

It momentarily lifts Newcastle past the Wests Tigers on the NRL premiership ladder.

The Tigers face Manly on Saturday.

The officials’ calls overshadowed a gritty performance from Newcastle who completed 18 from 18 sets of tackles in the second half.

Lamb finds his way through! #NRLEelsKnights #NRL pic.twitter.com/7CE04orT6a

— NRL (@NRL) August 11, 2017

Lamb finished the night with a try, four tackle breaks, two line breaks and two try assists, while fullback Dane Gagai carried the ball for a game-high 207m to go with two try assists.

The Knights shot out of the blocks with two tries in the opening 10 minutes.

Sio claimed the first when he finished off a quick left-side shift in the sixth minute, before a Lamb 70m line break in the ensuing set was finished off by Mitchell Barnett.

That's a double for Sio!#NRLEelsKnights 10-28 with 12 minutes to go. #NRL pic.twitter.com/wpuuq2eGQi

— NRL (@NRL) August 11, 2017

The Eels momentarily stemmed the flow with their own long-range try through Michael Jennings who produced a 55m run in the 18th minute.

— with AAP